Swan Song: Gill Lewis

Absolute pieces. That’s what I was when I came to the closing chapters of this beautiful beautiful book. Gill has tugged my heartstrings before with social issues but it is with animal conservation stories that she has an absolute gift with her classics such as Run Wild and Eagle Warrior.  This time she turns her …

Bookish Gift ideas: Children’s Magazine Subscriptions

Let’s face it, this Christmas it is harder than ever to find the right gift. Especially if you want to support small businesses and independent producers and particularly tricky if you want to buy for children. Sometimes the gift that keeps giving is a magazine subscription, but not a plastic toot accompanied advert riddled magazine …

Once upon a dragon’s fire- Beatrice Blue

We were delighted when we won a copy of Once Upon A Dragon’s Fire from Toppsta. This book is a lovely mythopoeic tale that takes the idea of explaining how dragons got their fire. But it also has hidden depths, undulating below the sweet story of two brave small children is challenging gossip and not …

In the time of Shut Schools, What I’ve learned as an ex teacher from 3 years home educating.

I know, it’s scary, it’s frustrating. But we can get through it. Schools have shutdown across the world and millions of parents are suddenly becoming their child’s teacher never expecting to find themselves in this situation and many are feeling worried, out of their depth and frustrated that it’s not going as well as expected. …

Winterborne Home for Vengeance and Valour – Ally Carter

This book where Little Orphan Annie meets the Superhero universe is a book that makes me feel like a little kid again. I've always enjoyed superhero films and this is the perfect middle grade novel that draws on both that genre and Ally Carter's experience writing the YA Gallagher Girls spycraft and teenagers series. Imagine …

Review & Learning: Mythologica- Steve Kershaw & Victoria Topping

When I spoke to Quarto Kids and they asked me if I would like to take a look at Mythologica I actually did a happy dance because I had heard wonderful things about this book and I'm so pleased to say it certainly does not disappoint. It’s at the top of my gift recommendations for …

Notable Non-Fiction: Families, Homes & Habitats

There are some fantastic books we have been lucky to explore that are ideal for learning about families, homes and animal habitats which are some of the themes looked at in EYFS and KS1 and may be of interest to teachers, librarians, Home tutors, Home educators and parents looking to support an interest. As We …